


Girls Night In

by arcadia75



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/M, Post-Endgame, Prompt Fic, not novel canon compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-06-22 11:27:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15580944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arcadia75/pseuds/arcadia75
Summary: Sometimes you overhear something that changes your whole outlook.





	Girls Night In

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ariella884](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariella884/gifts).



> Prompt from ariella884: Have Kathryn overhear a conversation between two or more people about herself, or about Chakotay or about them together. You decide the context of what she hears, who she hears it from and what she does with what she hears. Make it a drabble. Make it an epic novel. Doesn't matter. Angsty or funny or sexy....doesn't matter. JUST HAVE FUN WITH IT!!!!
> 
> Big thank you to both killermanatee and miacooper who beta-ed this for me. They are a constant source of encouragement and ideas and I'm grateful to be in a fandom that is so supportive to new writers.

* * *

“So, did you find out? Did they have a thing going on while they were out there?”

Kathryn sighed as the voice of Phoebe’s friend drifted back to the kitchen, where she was retrieving another bottle of wine and more bruschetta. She had agreed to this girls’ night in with her sister and her two friends after much badgering. It was a beautiful, warm New York summer night and as they sat out on Phoebe’s apartment patio, Monica and Rachel had peppered her with questions about Voyager in between talking about Phoebe’s last exhibit, Monica’s children and Rachel’s latest boyfriend.

“She hasn’t admitted anything outright, but I’m sure something went on,” Phoebe’s reply floated back toward Kathryn. “She’s too close-lipped about it for there not to be some kind of story.”

“Was he really dating that Borg girl?”

“For a short time, but Kath said they broke up before he left Earth to go visit his sister.”

“He’s really hot, I can’t believe she’d have kept her hands off him for seven years! I’d totally do him.”

“If I wasn’t happily married, he could show me his renegade side anytime!”

This was so different to the last seven years of her life that Kathryn couldn’t help but feel awkward. Although if she was honest, a small part of her reveled in it. It was certainly more relaxing than worrying about if the warp core was going to break down at any moment. She had to wonder however, were some of women on Voyager still gossiping about Chakotay’s attractiveness too? She knew there was talk early on in the voyage, but it had been awhile since she let herself think of Chakotay, the man, instead of Chakotay, her faithful first officer. The first one was fraught with dangers while they were still on the ship; it had been much safer just to think of him as her platonic friend.

“I cornered her pilot at one of the Voyager press events Kathryn dragged Mom and me to and from what he told me, everyone thought that as soon as Chakotay’s fling with Seven ended he would make a move on Kathryn. According to Tom, Chakotay’s feelings for Kathryn was one of the reasons he and Seven stopped seeing each other once they got home.”

The truth was Kathryn wasn’t sure where she and Chakotay stood anymore. They had been home for four months now, and all the reasons Kathryn had used to rationalize not getting involved with Chakotay while they were on Voyager were no longer valid. And whatever that thing with Seven had been, it was over now.

She’d been unprepared for the way his dalliance with Seven had blindsided her. She and Chakotay had gotten through all of the Voyager debriefs working together as the efficient professional team they had always been. But whenever Kathryn was alone with him she just didn’t know what to say. She wanted to bring up their relationship and everything they had pushed aside all of these years, but fear and uncertainty always stopped her.

“I think she really misses him though,” Phoebe continued. “The couple of times I’ve gotten her to talk about him, there’s this wistful melancholy in her voice. Kath’s been keeping to herself a lot these past months. I’m glad that she came tonight, even if I did have to promise to get up at the crack of dawn tomorrow and get her coffee from her favorite New York coffee shop.”

Phoebe was right, she did miss Chakotay. For seven years, he had been by her side every day. Kathryn didn’t realize how much she had taken his steady presence for granted until it was no longer there. Now that he was back on Earth, she wanted to fix the deterioration in their relationship she caused those last years on the ship. She just didn’t know how.

“Sworn enemies thrown across the galaxy, forced to work together to survive… They fall in love, but duty keeps them apart. It has all the makings of an epic love story!” Phoebe sighed.

“Oh speaking of epic love stories, have you guys read the new Tarah th'Zarath novel?”

“Yes, it’s wonderful! I just hope my sister’s love life doesn’t end up the way the girl’s in that book did! Waiting around without taking any action and someone else comes along and snatches up the love of her life!”

Kathryn walked back onto the patio and stopped in her tracks at Phoebe’s last comment. That Chakotay was an eligible bachelor in a quadrant full of eligible women was not a fact that consciously occurred to Kathryn until now. She wasn’t sure if Chakotay still had feelings for her, but she knew she would be full of regret if she didn’t try to find out. And while Chakotay was many things, handsome, intelligent, caring and kind, he wasn’t a mind reader. She needed to tell him how she felt about him. And she needed to tell him right now.

“Kath, are you okay?” Phoebe looked up at her sister with concern.

“Fine,” Kathryn said distractedly as she put down the wine and food and reached for her purse. “I’m sorry Phoebe, I’ve got to go.”

“Kath?” Phoebe looked at her speculatively.

“There’s just something I have to do.”

“Or someone,” Rachel muttered under her breath. Kathryn let the comment slip by as a new optimism bubbled up from her stomach.

“Pheebs, thank you,” she said sincerely as she gave her sister a quick hug. “Monica, Rachel, lovely to see you again.”

Kathryn quickly bolted out the door, leaving behind three women who were quite pleased with themselves at the evening’s turn of events.

“Well, I’d say my work here is done. More wine anyone?” Phoebe said as she watched her sister leave to finally take control of her future.


End file.
